Black Lives Matter.
Following the unjust murders of Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and George Floyd – three unarmed Black people – at the hands of police, as well as Ahmaud Arbery and at the hands of white supremacists and ex-police all in the past few months, folks around the United States and the world have taken to the streets to demand justice for these four individuals, as well as countless others who have unjustly lost their lives at the hands of police. While these cases are extreme examples of the oppressive systems meant to keep Black people down in the United States, they are by no means the only ones. Black people face violent racism every day from government authorities like the police, but also from coworkers, friends, and even family members. It is far past time that the world demand a change. Use the following resources as a starting – but not ending – point for taking a stand for Black lives.
A Few Places to Donate
Reclaim the Block helps reallocate money currently going to police departments to communities that need it
Black Vision Collective Minnesota’s “emerging Black leadership to lead powerful campaigns”
Equal Justice Initiative "is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society."
Black Lives Matter the movement fighting to “end state-sanctioned violence, liberate Black people, and end white supremacy”
NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund a leading organization fighting for racial justice
A Local Bail Fund this Twitter thread includes bail funds around the country
A Few Petitions to Sign
A Few Ways to Educate Ourselves
The New York Times Podcast 1619 - "An audio series on how slavery has transformed America, connecting past and present through the oldest form of storytelling."
Documentary 13th - examines the thirteenth amendment to the U.S. constitution which outlaws slavery except in the case of incarceration, mass incarceration, and more.
Documentary The Murder of Fred Hampton - uncoveres the murder of Black Panthers member and beloved community leader Fred Hampton by the FBI
Book White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo - "antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and “allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to ‘bad people.’"
Book So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo - "In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to "model minorities" in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life."